The second half of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Chamber Music Society's 2001/2002 season begins at the Skirball Cultural Center's Ahmanson Hall on Monday, March 4 at 8 PM with an evening richly woven of new- and old-world traditions. The concert features two bassoon pieces both commissioned by Los Angeles Philharmonic's Principal Bassoonist, David Breidenthal: the world premiere of Moods in Blue for Bassoon and Piano by Gernot Wolfgang and Fleeting Shadows, Still Reflections by Paul Chihara. The program also includes classic chamber works by Brahms and Prokofiev.

Ahmanson Hall is located off the 405 Freeway at the Mulholland/Skirball Center Drive exit. The address is 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., in West Los Angeles.

The highlight of the evening is the world premiere of the one movement Moods in Blue for Bassoon and Piano. Written by Los Angeles composer Gernot Wolfgang and commissioned by Breidenthal for an upcoming CD, Moods in Blue takes a jazz-inspired approach to chamber music. Schooled as a jazz guitarist, Wolfgang uses this background to infuse his compositions with the spirited energy of jazz and the strength of classical music.

Another work by a Los Angeles composer (Paul Chihara), Fleeting Shadows, Still Reflections for Bassoon and Piano was commissioned by Breidenthal also, and includes hints of both a Japanese folk melody and the popular American music of the '30s and '40s. In addition to Chihara's many award-winning concert works, he has written 90-plus compositions for film and television. Chihara teaches music composition at UCLA and is a music supervisor at the Buena Vista Studios.

In what has been called "a work for connoisseurs," Brahms very rapidly wrote the Clarinet Trio in A minor in 1891 after having been introduced to the clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld. Mühlfeld's performances inspired Brahms so much that he delved into the study of all the potentials and limitations the instrument possesses. This work represents the first fruits of these collaborations, showcasing Brahms' grasp of the range of the instrument.

One of Prokofiev's more radical pieces, the Quintet for Oboe, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, and Bass, was written in 1924. The piece had its origins as music for a ballet called "Trapeze" and was commissioned and performed by the Boris Romanov Dance Company. Harmonies in this work are sometimes polytonal as some instruments play in one key while others play in another.

Chamber Music Society concerts are presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic in association with the Norman and Sadie Lee Foundation as a community service.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

Monday, March 4, 8 PM

Members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic

Ahmanson Hall, Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.

BRAHMS: Clarinet Trio in A minor, Op.114

WOLFGANG: Moods in Blue for Bassoon and Piano (world premiere)

CHIHARA: Fleeting Shadows, Still Reflections for Bassoon and Piano

PROKOFIEV: Quintet for Oboe, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, and Bass, Op.39

Tickets ($25) are on sale now at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons-May, Tower Records, Ritmo Latino, Tu Musica, and selected Wherehouse locations), and by credit card phone order at 213/365-3500. Tickets will also available online at www.laphil.com or are available at Ahmanson Hall on the day of performance, two hours prior to the concert. For further information, please call 323/850-2000.

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